Educators Jeanne Carey Ingle and Tanya Moorehead in this commentary share five takeaways from research on the use of iPads in the classroom. Research, they write, shows that iPads improve learning and student engagement. Researchers also have found that iPads can level the playing field for all students, they note.

The 7th Annual ASU GSV Summit will feature presentations by the CEOs of 350+ leading education and talent technology companies and bring together the world's most visionary, passionate, and energetic players to create partnerships, explore solutions and shape the future of learning. Learn More

Middle-school students in Iowa are participating in the Air Force Association's CyberPatriot program, where they are learning lessons in cybersecurity and its use in the real world. The goal, they say, is for some students to take part in the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

Tech Showcase: A weekly roundup of news about education-technology products from SmartBrief editors

Webinar to discuss using data to inform instruction

A free webinar, hosted by Apperson, will discuss ways educators can use data to improve curriculum and inform instruction. The webcast will take place Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. ET.

Students earn job certifications through online CTE program

Fuel Education has debuted a new online and blended learning program for career-technical education called Career Readiness Pathways. The program comes with courses designed around four career clusters: business management and administration, health science, information technology and manufacturing. Each cluster includes opportunities for students to earn job certifications.

The nonprofit EducationSuperHighway recently has launched a website that allows K-12 schools to compare the price and usage of bandwidth among more than 13,500 school districts in the US. The data were supplied as part of federal E-rate applications and made public by the Federal Communications Commission.

The US Department of Education's fiscal year 2017 budget request includes $1 billion for a program to improve teachers' salaries, working conditions and professional development. The RESPECT: The Best Job In the World program would provide grants to states, which then could subdivide the grants for school districts.

The private social media lives of Wyoming students would be off-limits to teachers and administrators under a proposed law that recently passed unanimously through the state Senate's education committee. The bill would exempt social media accounts engaged in school business and would not stop teachers from scouring public accounts.

Participation in collaboratives may help rural schools overcome challenges, such as teacher recruitment and retention and access to resources and training, according to research by nonprofit Battelle for Kids. The Western Maine Education Collaborative, for example, offers graduate-level courses to participating schools via a partnership with the University of Maine-Farmington.